Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total sponsorship cost
$5,115
Government fees only
$2,115
Total if self-filing
$2,615
Attorney fee assumed
$2,500
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter processing path.
- 2Enter i-130 petition fee ($).
- 3Enter i-485 or ds-260 + biometrics ($).
- 4Enter affidavit of support fee (consular only) ($).
- 5Enter medical exam ($).
- 6Enter document translation ($).
- 7Enter attorney fee (0 if self-filing) ($).
- 8Read your total sponsorship cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Family-based green card sponsorship runs through several separate filings, each with its own fee: Form I-130 (petition, $675 as of 2024 for online filing), Form I-485 (adjustment of status, $1,440 combined with biometrics for applicants 14+), Form I-864 affidavit of support (free but requires proof of income), and for consular processing instead of adjustment, the DS-260 immigrant visa fee ($325) plus the affidavit of support fee ($120). Add the medical exam, translations of foreign documents, and often an attorney if the sponsor's income doesn't meet 125% of the federal poverty guideline and a joint sponsor or assets need to be documented. This calculator adds these together and separates adjustment-of-status (in the US) from consular processing (abroad) since the fee lists differ by hundreds of dollars.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Processing path: Adjustment of status (applicant in US)
- I-130 petition fee: 675 $
- I-485 or DS-260 + biometrics: 1440 $
- Affidavit of support fee (consular only): 120 $
- Medical exam: 350 $
- Document translation: 150 $
- Attorney fee (0 if self-filing): 2500 $
Results
- Total sponsorship cost: $5,115
- Government fees only: $2,115
- Total if self-filing: $2,615
- Attorney fee assumed: $2,500
What each field means
Inputs
- Processing path
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Adjustment of status (applicant in US), Consular processing (applicant abroad).
- I-130 petition fee ($)
- The i-130 petition fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 675 $ so you have a working example on load.
- I-485 or DS-260 + biometrics ($)
- The i-485 or ds-260 + biometrics used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1440 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Affidavit of support fee (consular only) ($)
- The affidavit of support fee (consular only) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 120 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Medical exam ($)
- The medical exam used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 350 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Document translation ($)
- The document translation used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Attorney fee (0 if self-filing) ($)
- The attorney fee (0 if self-filing) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 2500 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Total sponsorship cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Government fees only
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total if self-filing
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Attorney fee assumed
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does adjustment of status cost differently than consular processing?
Adjustment happens entirely with USCIS in the US and bundles the I-485, biometrics, and often work/travel permits into one combined fee. Consular processing splits costs between USCIS (petition), the National Visa Center (affidavit of support), and the State Department (immigrant visa fee), and those separate agencies bill separately.
What income do I need to sponsor someone?
You need household income at or above 125% of the federal poverty guideline for your household size (100% if you're active duty military sponsoring a spouse or child). For 2024, that's roughly $25,550 for a two-person household. If you fall short, a joint sponsor or qualifying assets can fill the gap.
Is the I-864 affidavit of support fee always required?
It's built into the DS-260 process for consular cases but not charged separately for adjustment of status, where the I-864 is just a form you file with I-485. That's part of why the two paths' fee totals look different even though both require the same affidavit.
How long does the process take end to end?
Spouse of a US citizen through adjustment of status commonly takes 12-18 months currently; consular processing for the same relationship often runs similar or slightly faster depending on the country's visa backlog. Family preference categories for siblings or adult children can take a decade or more due to annual visa caps.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Visa Application Cost Calculator
Add up government fees, biometrics, medical exam, and translations for a visa application.
Immigration Sponsor Income Requirement Calculator (125% FPL)
Check if your household income meets the 125% federal poverty guideline for sponsoring an immigrant.
Naturalization / Citizenship Fee Calculator
Total the N-400 filing fee, biometrics, and prep costs for naturalization.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Green Card Sponsorship Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/green-card-sponsorship-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/green-card-sponsorship-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Green Card Sponsorship Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Green Card Sponsorship Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/green-card-sponsorship-cost) (2026).